No boost...The title says it all

[Heisenberg]

The easy way to check the puck alignment is to put some chalk, or anti seize, or petroleum jelly on the puck and rotate the arm to see where it is hitting. You will then see a clear picture of the puck seating.

Bryan

Yes - like the old carpenter's truck of a little lipstick on it to mark the spot.
Not a bad idea.
I think I'll do that quick before bolting the downpipe back up.

Just so I know I'm seating correctly and can say I checked that.

 

[NY_GN]

I used a little sports camera under the hood and went for a drive, allowed me to see actuator arm getting hung up, turned out to be puck outta whack. Don't ask what happened to the cheap AZ flashlight that didn't stay taped down.

 

[we4Mateo]

I would power brake it and see if you can get it to spool.

 

[Heisenberg]

** UPDATE ** 11:48 PM - SUNDAY

Well, that was a whole day - shot to hell.
I mean - it wasn't the worst thing on the planet to do - but c'mon already.
It was another pretty day - and I'm pretty much tired of wrenching and would prefer to be driving.

Anyway..

Here is the update:

Alright - so I never was happy with those "too short" hex head bolts holding the actuator to the compressor housing.
They simply were not long enough to get a decent bite and hold the actuator bracket securely.
The lower one was actually loosey and spinning it was so short.
Those are blind holes in the compressor housing - so the bolt has to be just the right length; something like 5/8" or 3/4" - max.
Whoever did the TA49 retro fit before me - simply used the two little short 1/2" long bolts that hold the flange "thing" to the turbo compressor housing.
Those two short 1/2" bolts should really be replaced with slightly longer bolts to accommodate the thickness of the actuator bracket.
So - in order to really get access to that lower actuator bracket bolt - the turbo drain line really had to be removed.
It's just almost impossible to do it properly with that drain line attached - there is all of about NO room for both bolts and or a wrench to fit there.
For any of you who have messed with that down there - that's one evil son of a %^&$#@
And of course - I find one socket head on the front bolt - and some crazy a$$ 1-1-/2" long hex head bolt with a nut as a spacer on the back of the turbo drain line manifold to turbo.. Huh?
I hate finding crap like that.
Like really - you couldn't take a minute and go to the store and get a 8mm of x 1"?
Anyway - so I finally get the proper length (stainless always!) bolts + lock washers + flat washers to hold the actuator bracket nice and securely to the compressor housing.

And then wrestle with that evil turbo drain line - and this time use 2 of the correct length stainless steel hex head bolts + flat washers + lock washers.
Did I mention that I despise that turbo oil drain line!

Waste gate actuator all reconnected
Clip installed.
Everything works lovely.
Puffs of 25 PSI in the actuator line and it moves back and forth.

Now install boost gauge.
Had to run to Autozone for a vacuum fitting or two
But I like the "T" and the connections I came up with.
(See pictures)

Getting that bigger O.D. fish tank tubing thru the (cruise control) firewall grommet was a real $#@#%^.
I didn't have my smaller O.D nylon tubing or it would have been easier.
I used what tubing came in their kit.
It's still not long enough to get to the A-pillar - so the gauge is resting in the front of the shifter console - for now.
Whatever - it's in. I have a real boost / vacuum gauge in the cabin - For now.

Then - after dark, finally hooked up the boost test assembly I made. (Credit to whoever posted that YouTube video showing how - thanks!)
(See pictures)
Works great.
Set my air regulator to 20 PSI

I hear and feel air leaks at between the compressor inlet bell (no gasket - and I don't think there should be one there anyway)
I think I might either A) - Find or make one - or B) use a little Blue RTV
Because I like this boost tester and why have any leaks at all?
Even though I don't think it matters that there is no super air tight seal at the inlet bell to compressor housing.

But - and a big but - a more serious hiss and leak from around the PCV.
At the hose, at the hardline, at the PCV valve itself.
All over the place in that area.
I wiggle the hardline and it hisses even louder.
Please don't tell me after all this - that is going to be a POS AutoZone PCV or a 30 cent PCV hose that is my problem?
Did I mention I have no hose clamps on that since I just had to be cute when replaced my PCV a while back and used some stainless braid over the rubber PCV line- to dress things up.
During my test runs last weekend - My BALs were all reasonable - 119- 127 highway.
The 119 was a tad lower than I am used to seeing though.
Could it be?
And remember - my vacuum was decent at 16.5- 17 in/hg (At Idle) - on my vacuum test.
No - I don't have an RJC or Kirban check valve
I will though.
It's on the list.
And some hose clamps!

No other leaks at the IC, the coupler hoses, or anywhere else I can tell.

It's late - and I'm tired - so maybe tomorrow AM I can fiddle.
Gotta go to ChIraq this week, so might not even be able to finish my work..
But I'm closer.
Let's put it this way - I know what it isn't!

 

[earlbrown]

I hate to table this.... but do you have a compression gauge?

 

[Heisenberg]

I hate to table this.... but do you have a compression gauge?

Cylinder compression? No - I used to - from my SBC days - but I'll be damned if I know what happened to it.
Ex wife probably sold it on eBay for a dollar.
Horrible Freight has plenty of them.

But - where are you going with that?
No!!!!
It is not something like that

Hell - I don't give a crap - I could check all six of them.
Change the plugs while I'm at it.
It ain't like I haven't had most of the stuff pulled off during the last 2 weeks.

But first things first - at my first chance - is to see if the turbo spools up.

But first - I'm going to fix that air leak at and around the PCV line.
Fix it right I will!

I used an old stock turbo inlet bell for my boost tester - one with the passenger side valve cover breather inlet port. I capped it but now I really want a smoke machine and want to use that port for smoke.
That would be the capper for this boost tester.

 

[Heisenberg]

Got to thinking - and googling.

There really is supposed to be a gasket between the inlet bell and the compressor housing

Like these - right?

Mine does not have one - that's a little "issue"
No biggie - but amazing what you find poking around someone else's work.

 

[earlbrown]

There is supposed to be a gasket there. During full honk that would be an unmetered air source. While you've got the bell off, hand lap it on a piece of plate glass (or a mirror left over from the 80's). Odds are the ears are curled in and it's a little warped.


the reason I hate to table the compression tester is that I'm starting to wonder if you have 12 cam lobes.

 

[Heisenberg]

There is supposed to be a gasket there. During full honk that would be an unmetered air source. While you've got the bell off, hand lap it on a piece of plate glass (or a mirror left over from the 80's). Odds are the ears are curled in and it's a little warped.


the reason I hate to table the compression tester is that I'm starting to wonder if you have 12 cam lobes.

Well hell - thanks for the jinx!
That kind of thing makes me shudder.

Once I fix the PCV leak, and inlet bell "no gasket" gasket
I will see if the turbo spools.
To my way of thinking - I simply did not have spool before.
Or to put it another way - it's not like I had turbo spool - but had no get up and go.

Sure - I'll pull the oil filter, and cut it open.
Even drop the pan and look.
Do a compression check.
After I decide I have turbo spool.

 

[earlbrown]

You got something going on that's bigger than a PCV leak or a turbo bell leak.


Wait a minute... I just thought of something.... Do you have a stock catalytic converter?

 

[Heisenberg]

You got something going on that's bigger than a PCV leak or a turbo bell leak.


Wait a minute... I just thought of something.... Do you have a stock catalytic converter?

I do - and it is getting ripped off to be replaced by a cut-out test pipe as soon as I have the time.
Have the pipe - just not the time.

You're thinking "back pressure" right?

 

[earlbrown]

The term 'back pressue' makes me throw up in my mouth a little.... but, yes, if you're cat is corked up, you WILL NOT make any boost.


remember the old 'bannana in the tail pipe' trick on Beverly Hills Cop? Same thing only they didn't have a turbo to make things worse.

 

[John Larkin]

We're not going to fall for the banana in the tail pipe.

 

[phil_jordan]

We're not going to fall for the banana in the tail pipe.

Lmao!!!

 

[phil_jordan]

The ramble about the bolts holding the actuator to the compressor housing I agree with 100%. Pissed me off beyond all belief when I changed actuators out.

 

[85typet]

damn cars will give ya grey hair but when they're right they will put hair on ya chest and nuts

 

[Heisenberg]

Didn't mean to ramble
Really was a rant about the turbo housing actuator bolts


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[Heisenberg]

** UPDATE **

This has been a maddening affair.

I went straight from a reliable daily driver where I turned the key - to a full time wrench turner.

Anyway...
I was out of town for a week so upon my return I re-visited my boost tester.

And started to try to get the PCV leakage straightened out.

At 15 PSI on my boost tester - the PCV is blowing by or leaking like crazy.
It's a relatively new - Advance Auto BWD Brand - P/N # PCV243
Could it be crap?
I suppose I'll try to get an AC Delco someplace as Autozone does not show the Metal bodied PCV ; P/N #1162 any longer on their website.
Unless someone has ideas on how to get the Autozone 1162.

In a pinch, I tried an Autolite PVC in line with my PCV, as the Autolite was really more like a little check valve.
I wasn't at all sure of its specs (crack pressure being the important one for vacuum) - but it didn't much matter - since while it was better at stopping the 15 PSI blow by, it didn't really cut it out completely.

No one in town seems to stock anything of a 516" or 3/8" standard vacuum check valve.
They all stock the same "Help!" brand that has a very small inlet and outlet.
This 5/16" O.D. one from NAPA might have worked - but they can get it for me in 5 days.
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...um-Advance-Check-Valve/_/R-CRB2971_0379908857
Hell, I can do that on the web myself- an for a lot less than 6 bucks..
So I'll have to be ordering a couple on the web this week.
So - so much for that - the PVC s still off the car ,while I await a decent check valve to try to stop the leakage and blow by at 15 PSI.

But then this...

So I cap the PCV hardline (since the PCV is out of the car) and figure I'll go on about looking for any other boost leaks.
Hook up the boost tester - again.
And the 90 degree MAP sensor connector is again split.
That's the 3rd one.
So, obviously I won't be using that any longer.
I switched over to a straight one line the stock rubber adaptor.
Seems to fit better.
Don't like my boost line not all tucked in near the fender - but I'll fix that later.
In fact ,truth be told, I'm getting just about ready to re-plumb all of it with AN style since so much of that other stuff is junk - and the leaks are never ending.

But now for the real kicker:
Notice hissing at or near he PCV hardline cap.
No big deal, I'll tie wrap it - twice!
And in fiddling with the hardline - it hisses more loudly.
Strange.
I start fiddling around and spraying my soapy water - and find the one hardline that feeds the MAP sensor has a hairline split in it - right where the bracket was brazed on.
When I had the hardline off for all of this madness - I cleaned it, and spray painted it - but surely did not torque on it or anything.
Was the crack there all the time? - I think so.
And with paint on it - and in that place where the bracket is brazed on - you would never be able to spot it without the boost / leak tester or a smoke machine.
See my video of it spraying the soapy water at 15 PSI.

Now - off to track down any more leaks.
I might even try to fire things up later and see if I spool.
This has definitely fallen into that category of "It's always something"

 

[Heisenberg]

** UPDATE**

I feel so lonely and dejected.
And - I'm so flucked

After weeks of fixing this leak, and chasing that leak - with my boost tester - and I found plenty!
I felt good about all the things I found and fixed.

I finally felt good enough to button it all back up and go for a test spin.
Hell- before I did - I even cut loose the tie wraps on the wastegate actuator line and shot 25 PSI in there to watch the actuator move
So far - so good.
Had the boost gauge installed.
Everything was top notch.

Results?
Still no freaking boost.

I guess I'm down to the TURBO.
Even though it doesn't appear to have any issues.

Yeah - I could yank the cat off - since I want to anyway - as I have a test pipe w/ dump - but I have heard that plugged up catalytic converters mostly results in slow spool - not NO spool.

I wish Bison or someone would chime in here and throw me a bone.
I'm at a loss for answers.

And when I say no boost - I mean NO - as in NO - PSI. No boost. At all.

I tried to do a brake torque - to spin the turboi - and while I had no boost - my motor is so strong - it broke the wheels loose.
But - it ain't my old car - by any stretch of the imagination.

I hate this,
Frustrated.

Help me.

Do I really have to start swapping turbos?
I'm down to that in my mind) .
I've checked every other thing - at least for leaks and such.

Gawd - shoot me.

I suppose this is going to be Achem's razor - where the most logical answer is the most obvious answer - i.e. turbo.
But do I really have to yank that whole damned thing off?

 

[we4Mateo]

** UPDATE**

I feel so lonely and dejected.
And - I'm so flucked

After weeks of fixing this leak, and chasing that leak - with my boost tester - and I found plenty!
I felt good about all the things I found and fixed.

I finally felt good enough to button it all back up and go for a test spin.
Hell- before I did - I even cut loose the tie wraps on the wastegate actuator line and shot 25 PSI in there to watch the actuator move
So far - so good.
Had the boost gauge installed.
Everything was top notch.

Results?
Still no freaking boost.

I guess I'm down to the TURBO.
Even though it doesn't appear to have any issues.

Yeah - I could yank the cat off - since I want to anyway - as I have a test pipe w/ dump - but I have heard that plugged up catalytic converters mostly results in slow spool - not NO spool.

I wish Bison or someone would chime in here and throw me a bone.
I'm at a loss for answers.

And when I say no boost - I mean NO - as in NO - PSI. No boost. At all.

I tried to do a brake torque - to spin the turboi - and while I had no boost - my motor is so strong - it broke the wheels loose.
But - it ain't my old car - by any stretch of the imagination.

I hate this,
Frustrated.

Help me.

Do I really have to start swapping turbos?
I'm down to that in my mind) .
I've checked every other thing - at least for leaks and such.

Gawd - shoot me.

I suppose this is going to be Achem's razor - where the most logical answer is the most obvious answer - i.e. turbo.
But do I really have to yank that whole damned thing off?

If you can spin the tires and your back brakes are grabbing, you're probably making boost. Not too many 8:1 V6s with a cork on the end of the header spin tires.